Cost of Living Comparison Between South Yarra and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between South Yarra and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,197 in South Yarra versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,203 in South Yarra versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,209 in South Yarra versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in South Yarra is roughly 74% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: South Yarra is 63% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.73 A$27.88

$4.56 ฿149

332.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.6 A$108

$46.63 ฿1,519

64.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.83 A$11.06

$8.47 ฿276

-7.56%

Cappuccino

$3.24 A$4.57

$3.03 ฿98.6

6.93%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 A$2.80

$0.69 ฿22.45

186.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 A$2.36

$0.37 ฿11.92

351.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.16 A$10.12

$2.49 ฿81.0

187.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.03 A$9.93

$3.66 ฿119

92.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.12

$2.18 ฿71.0

-31.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 A$3.70

$1.90 ฿62.0

37.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 A$1.81

$2.20 ฿71.6

-41.82%

Eggs

$4.01 A$5.66

$2.22 ฿72.4

80.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.00 A$12.71

$19.99 ฿651

-54.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.38 A$9.02

$3.66 ฿119

74.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.76 A$20.86

$13.25 ฿432

11.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 A$3.69

$3.23 ฿105

-19.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 A$2.70

$1.70 ฿55.3

12.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 A$1.81

$2.39 ฿78.0

-46.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.53 A$3.57

$2.08 ฿67.7

21.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 A$1.86

$1.59 ฿51.8

-17.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 A$2.77

$1.48 ฿48.31

32.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 A$3.13

$1.03 ฿33.54

115.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.31

$0.52 ฿16.83

213.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$29.45 A$41.61

$4.25 ฿138

592.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.56 A$17.75

$18.79 ฿612

-33.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.61 A$6.51

$1.76 ฿57.2

161.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.28 A$7.45

$2.76 ฿89.8

91.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.65 A$3.74

$1.36 ฿44.32

94.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.4 A$90.9

$11.36 ฿370

466.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 A$5.21

$3.14 ฿102

17.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 A$1.98

$1.04 ฿33.74

34.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.38 A$38.69

$13.77 ฿448

98.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 A$1.67

$1.34 ฿43.79

-11.94%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$28.7K A$40.5K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

3.55%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$23.1K A$32.6K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-31.85%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$150 A$211

$124 ฿4,025

20.97%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$21.39 A$30.22

$13.52 ฿440

58.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.39 A$54.3

$18.69 ฿609

105.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.14 A$69.4

$61.8 ฿2,013

-20.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.56 A$21.98

$17.25 ฿562

-9.80%

Cinema Ticket

$13.21 A$18.67

$9.14 ฿298

44.53%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,756 A$2,481

$703 ฿22.9K

149.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K A$27.6K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

23.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.2 A$97.7

$59.5 ฿1,937

16.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.2 A$76.6

$35.07 ฿1,142

54.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 A$147

$115 ฿3,754

-9.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 A$147

$84.1 ฿2,737

23.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 A$1,796

$619 ฿20.1K

105.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,050 A$1,483

$433 ฿14.1K

142.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 A$2,843

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-2.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 A$2,347

$1,511 ฿49.2K

9.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,628 A$9,364

$3,646 ฿118.7K

81.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,460 A$6,301

$2,626 ฿85.5K

69.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.19

5.33

16.14%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for South Yarra: June 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,271 in South Yarra and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $77.0 in South Yarra vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $293 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

South Yarra vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 74% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,296 in South Yarra and $1,892 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,271 in South Yarra versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,756 in South Yarra versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in South Yarra. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $2,197 in South Yarra, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in South Yarra. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in South Yarra, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, South Yarra and Phuket are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 74% less than in South Yarra. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.